Growing up in a Falling Republic
by Tigereyes45
Summary: Jacek;a caamasi padawan that was assigned to the Jedi Master ither are excited, but the poor padawan fears for his future when rumors spread of his master being a sith. She has to prove she can be trusted while training a sensitive Caamasi to grow use to problems war presents. For a species that is devastated so easily by loss and pain Jacek is quite determined to be more.
1. Chapter 1

**_This story begins as order 66 is taking place. Through Jacek we see his memories of the past as he learns to grow with his master, and how the world really works._**

* * *

"Jacek stay down!" His master orders and Jacek could hear the screams of men as his master turned her sights onto them. He tries to ignore the sounds, and the pain of death all around them. Men they had trusted betraying them. Trying their hardest to cut him down. When one of them grabbed his wrist is when he thought it was all over. It was Franks the newest member of their unit. The man had a gun pointed straight at his head. That was it, it was all over now, but with a loud bang Fanks fell, and Jacek darts his eyes back and forth trying to find the source of the defensive shot. His first thought was of his master but when he glances up she is still fighting against an ongrowing number of clones. When he spots the one who had shot down the clone he was shocked to see it was Appo Smithers. His master's commander.

"Run!" The clone orders. "Before I do something I can not stop." He declares as he lowers his blaster and aims it at Jacek. The warning was more than the young padawan had expected, and he took it to heart as he ran away.

"Jacek!" He could hear his master's call as he left. The caamasi continues to run. His feet only stopping when he was good and lost. Lost in the woods of a planet he knew not. Left with the nightmares of the fight. Unsure of how he would survive.

"Jacek, wake up." He hears the sharp command through his nightmares. A slight shaking on his shoulders.

"M-master?" The young padawan asks.

"Yes." His master answers. She wore a grim expression as she tended to the food in front of her. "You were having night terrors again. I told you not to look. Your species' memories are too vivid for such travesties." Her silver robes were torn. The blue stitching on them were stained black in a few places. He can only imagine that was a result of the blood she had split.

"You need to eat." She hands him a leaf with a range of food sorted upon it. He takes the food within his hands and sniffs it. None of it was toxic. The smells ranged from pleasant to simply odd. His stomach growls from the emptiness within it. He eats the food greedily.

"Did it really happen?" He asks again. For the last three days they had been surviving in the wilds on this planet. Running from their former men. Brothers in arms that had taught the padawan much.

"Yes it really happened. Yes we were betrayed. Franks was killed by Appo in a moment of clarity. His blood was the one that took to partially staining your clothes. Yes you thought I was dead and yes we are stuck here for now." His master says with no sympathy for the young boy's fears.

"Go back to sleep Jacek. I am going to go out and find more food. Tomorrow when the sun rises we will find a way off this planet. I will not die here." She swears, still giving the little amount of food in front of her a look of contempt. "You will not die here. So rest, and dream of happier times. Happier memories if you can." Master Sierra recommends. Jacek scoots closer to her. She raises an eyebrow. Curiosity playing in her eyes.

"Can I just sleep a little closer to you. Until you leave, please?"

Master Sierra sighs but allows her young padawan to scoot closer.

"Thank you." Jacek whispers gratefully to her.

"Sleep now." She orders.


	2. Chapter 2

Jacek loved the smells of the library. All the scrolls and books gave him a feeling of comfort when he could smell them. His nose being ten times as strong as most of the other species here; he did not need to even be inside the library to feel comfort. That did not change the fact that it was still his favorite place to be. He would sit there all day, reading of everything on the shelves if he could.

The door opens and his comfort is destroyed. Sadly it was not meant to be. He would always be pulled away from his studies for more, physical work. The master passes him by, ignoring his presence as Jacek glances at the time on the wall. He had enough time to leave now and still make it to the mission briefing with Master Sierra.

He has been working under her for a few months now, and so far all he could tell about his master was that she was female, human-looking but not entirely so, and altogether quite odd. Her young appearance only serves to compliment her sharp mind as she goes to throws barb tongued remarks of those in the lower levels she so enjoyed to antagonize. His master was childish, he had decided upon, and therefore it was his responsibility to make sure people took both him and his master seriously for even if she was petty in her little rebellions against the jedi council he was not and he would not allow her to ruin his potential future.

He knocks on the door before entering her room. As always she calls back that it is unlocked, but it never is. Jacek knows she unlocks it just for him after he knocks. She never leaves any room unlocked unless she believes a quit exit may be needed in the impeding future. Especially if the rumors of her using the darkside was true. A shiver of fear goes down Jacek's back. No it was unlikely. No jedi would use the darkside. Especially one that other suspect would, right? Doubt gnaws at his stomach as he walks inside.

"Master." Jacek greets formally.

"You were in the library weren't you?" She questions from her spot of meditation.

"Yes. Why master?"

She wrinkles her nose before responding. "It is three minutes before the meeting. You are usually ten minutes early, exactly. Any time you are late it is because you are in the library." She states.

"Oh okay." Jacek was not really sure what else to say as he walks his way over to Master Sierra's book shelf. He stands still beside it pretending not to read the titles out of the corner of his eyes. She would not let him touch her books. Most of the time he was in this room they would either meditate or he had to awaiting for mission briefings. Sierra would not hold them in many other places within the temple. Most of the books had illegible titles. Scratched off or scuffed. Some were in other tongues. So far Jacek had found out the name of two books. Mesem and Raylak. Neither words he recognized.

"Master?"

"Yes."

Jacek's eyes fine a small poster on the wall. Few jedi had such lewd decoration in their rooms. Another way his master expressed her individuality. Another tiny rebellion by her. "How did you become a padawan?"

"Why do you ask now?" She opens one eye.

"I was thinking about how little I know of you Master. I would like to know more if you will be teaching me."

"I was found in an orphanage playing a game with the other orphans. Of course I was scolded for such behavior and warned against acting in such a way once I was training with jedi. Not by the man who found me. He thought it creative and a good way to learn my skills, but by the teachers who I told my experience too." She explains before Jacek can ask. "I almost failed my tests and nearly missed my chance of being a jedi master. However the man who found me took me on as his apprentice. He was married and when the jedi found out they thought it would corrupt me. Of course they would not admit that they knew when they had no actual proof. So I was informed I would be given a new master who held to the jedi's beliefs." Sierra sighs as Windu's voice echoes around the room.

"I've never heard you talk about yourself so much." He jests likely before looking to the padawan.

"If I don't tell him everything he will pester me with questions later. I am preventing that and now you have interrupted."

"Your door was unlocked." He points back towards it. "I took that as a sign you were ready to begin the briefing and to come on in." Sierra glances at her padawan and he knew he had forgotten to lock it again.

"We are ready."

"Well this one won't be as difficult as the one we gave you two last time. Actually it is a recruitment mission. I know you are familiar with those Master Stormer." Jacek's master nods in affirmation. "Good, well it will be in the outer rim. My belief holds that if we can recruit a few unknown forces into our numbers it may aid us in turning the tides. So you may be making first contact with a few species or playing diplomat with those who already know of us." Master Windu explains.

Jacek could not help but wonder if this mission was a good one from his master. She rarely held her tongue and while he knew she was smart, diplomatic? He keeps his mouth shuts and his thoughts quiet as Windu explains the rest of the mission.

"My men will be coming with me on this, correct?"

Mace Windu sighs. "An armed battalion? I'm not sure that will send the right message Master Stormer."

"With all due respect Windu, I do believe they could be helpful. If we face hostiles they can defend my padawan, and if we do not need them for physical reinforcement then I know they can chat to the locals like I do. Yevon is a wonderful linguistic. Reasons such as this was why I requested he had been trained as one as well as a soldier. I can not do all translating by myself."

"You're padawan,"

"Is new. The only missions he has seen are scouting and small skirmishes. Many he has provided intelligence for, but not brute strength and certainly not linguistics."

"Alright. They are yours to command. I only ask you use them wisely." Mace says glancing at Jacek.

"Do not scare my padawan." Sierra demands as Jacek shivers under the other jedi's look.

"Never my intention, but if we could. There is something I would also like to tell you in private." A nod the short signal for him to leave.

Jacek leaves, shutting the door behind him only to lean in close enough to hear.

"Sierra be safe."

"Words of caution, from you? This must indeed be the true depths of the unknown I shall be adventuring into."

"Yes it is, and I am going to ask you not as a peer but as a friend. Don't do anything too reckless. I know you still use the darkside on occasion, but that can attract unknown dangers in a place already filled with enough."

"Controlling the darkness within us all is part of being a jedi, Mace Windu. We are not suppose to shut it out completely, but listen and be strong enough to fall for it's tricks."

"Your padawan has come to us with concerns."

"I know. He worries I may be a sith. My methods are unorthodox."

"Be safe, and don't get yourselves killed." Footsteps. "And don't die for the clones either. We can replace them. It is much harder to replace an experienced jedi."

"Jedi defend, Mace."

"They need to live in order to do that Master Sierra." Jacek pushes himself away from the door. He sits in a meditation stance just as the door opens and Master Windu walks out.

He stares down at Jacek who looks up to meet the man's gaze. "May I go back inside now?" He asks carefully trying to ignore the knots in his stomach.

"Yes." Is all the jedi says before walking away.

Jacek peeks into the room to see the door still wide open. A flash of movement catches his eye and he sees that his master had dawn her jedi robes. Today she has chosen her silver robes with the purple stitching. Her clothing was yet another way she was determined to be different from the other jedi masters. Rejecting the normal brown robes for those of silver or white. The lining was always blue, green, or purple on her robes. Master Stormer's favorite color as well as her two teachers. Or so she had told Jacek.

"Jacek, are you ready to go?"

"Huh, yes master." Jacek replies leaving his thoughts.

"Jacek." His master's lips were not moving but she was speaking. "Jacek, wake up."

"Master, what are you,"

He was being shaken. Eyes snapping open Jacek realizes he was dreaming of his memories. Happier times just as his master had advised. Speaking of his master she was there. Her hands covering his mouth and shaking his shoulder. His eyes grow wide as he realizes they were not alone. Master Stormer had covered themselves up with foliage while he slept. Her back was pressed against a tree as her ears listen attentively. Jacek could hear them too. Men speaking. He recognizes the voices. They were their men.

Master Stormer moves one of her hands towards her mouth slowly, motioning for Jacek to remain quiet. He did not need her instruction to do so. Jacek's body froze as the voice grow closer. His body tightens up and he tries to even slow his heartbeat, scared that the clones may hear even its beating. His eyes focus on his master, and that is when he sees that she is still wearing her robes. Silver that clashes with the green and brown of the plants she has covering them. Now more than ever Jacek wishes his master was one to just follow the code.

Slowly the voice grow quieter. Their feet distance themselves from the two force wielders. Jacek can feel his master's hand relax but he still felt tense. They could come back. One glimpse of silver and they will know where to fire.

"Appo." His master whispers the name of her former loyal commander. Her eyes never wavering from what Jacek suspected was where the clones had disappeared to. This was hurting his master, and it scares Jacek that this is the first time he has ever seen her hurt.

"Master."

"Shush. It's alright. If you are rested now, we should get moving. Do not fret Jacek. I will get us out of this."

"Yes master." The young padawan whispers as his master helps him up. "Master, I promise to help you. In every way I can." She pats his head, a rare show of affection that warms Jacek and melts his fears away, just a little. They would be alright. For all her faults Master Stormer was a jedi, and a strategic one at that.


End file.
